Willow Tree Daycare

🍃 Job Opportunity 🍃

We are currently looking to add to our team of bank staff, with the possibility of this becoming a permanent position.
If you are interested, please drop me and email at: [email protected] for more information.

Thank you

Today is a VERY sad day, our chicks go back to the farm 😭

It's been an incredible experience watching them hatch, grow, and become part of our everyday routine.

Despite the worry, stress, and a fair few sleepless nights...it always feels worth it when parents tell us the children haven't stopped talking about the chicks at home and seeing them rush in to check on them in a morning.

So many people have shared that they still remember having chicks when they were at school, a real reminder that what we do and expose children to, can have a life long impact!

We'll miss our fluffy little friends 😭 Safe travels back to the farm, chicks! 🐣

It's been a very EGGiting week...our eggs have finally hatched! 🐣 Thankfully they weren't the dinosaur eggs some children were wishing for! As if we didn't already have enough little ones to care for....we've welcomed SIX fluffy new additions to the family. 🙈

The children are in their element, spending their day checking in on them and they've been helping to top up their feed and water - learning all about the responsibility that comes with caring for a pet.

🍓 Strawberry Planting Fun! 🌱

The children had a great time planting out our strawberry plants today. We talked about how the pretty white flowers will eventually drop off, and in their place our strawberries will begin to grow!

With a bit of sunshine and plenty of care, we’re hoping for a lovely harvest this year.... maybe even enough to make some strawberry jam for the Pen*stone Show after the judges comments our blackberry jam received from the judges in 2025! 💁‍♀️🤞

Our tadpoles are finally becoming froglets! 🐸💚 They’ve all got back legs, and some even have their front ones too! Next their tails will disappear and they’ll be fully fledged frogs 🥹 We’ve tipped the tank and added rocks so they can climb out for air now they have lungs 🌿💦 Soon we’ll be saying goodbye as they head back to Janet’s pond 🐸🏡

🐣✨ Exciting news… our chicks have arrived! ✨🐣

They’re all safely tucked into their incubator now and we’ll be watching them closely as they settle in.

We’ve already had some brilliant conversations about what might be inside the eggs… suggestions so far include lizards 🦎, snakes 🐍 and even crocodiles 🐊!

We’re just hoping the children convinced it’s dragons and dinosaurs 🐉🦖 aren’t too disappointed when the big reveal happens… 😄

Watch this space! 👀

***We have chosen to partner with Gemma at Armitage Poultry as we are confident in her commitment to ethical farming practices, Gemma provides these opportunities because, as an EYFS teacher herself, she believes it is important to give children hands on learning experiences (please ask if you have any questions or would like further information)***

The children have been talking and wondering about our hedgehog house this week 🥰, following some guidance from Watermeadows Hedgehog Rescue we've made some changes to the area and we'll be giving them plenty of space and peace for now though!

They've also sent us this incredible idea for how you can make a hedgehog house at home too, some of our older children would love this if you have a spare box in the garage! 🦔

🐦Spring Refresh: Bird feeders restocked and ready for visitors! 🌷

Our children are animal mad at the moment, and we are absolutely loving it! Following children’s interests is such an important part of good early years practice, and we’re proud to be raising the next generation of wildlife warriors. 🐦🌿

After sitting empty all winter (following the bird flu restrictions) our 2 year olds have been busy refilling our bird feeding stations, now some of the restrictions have been lifted! We’re also following all RSPB guidance on safe bird feeder practices to help keep our feathered friends happy and healthy ❤️

To mark National Hedgehog Awareness Week, we installed a brand new hedgehog house next to the woodland, conveniently located beside some hedgehog poo, expertly identified by Sally! 🦔💩

The children helped place the house and fill it with food while we chatted about when hedgehogs come out and what they like to eat. Although, thanks to the very clearly labelled bag of hedgehog food, most answers to “What do hedgehogs eat?” were simply… “hedgehog food!” Technically correct, to be fair. 😄

We’re looking forward to making regular trips down to check on the house and refill the food dish. The children were very keen to wait and see if a hedgehog arrived straight away, but we explained they were probably all asleep and it might take a little while for one to discover its new home. After all, moving house is a big job....even for hedgehogs!

They might not have loads of boxes to pack, but imagine trying to carry a sofa with no hands! 🦔📦